THE MAN WHO LIVED IN THE MOON.

"Tell me another story about the moon."

Yes, my dear. In the old time many men lived happily in the moon, with

nothing to do but keep up the fire which makes the light. But among the

folk lived a very wicked, obstinate man, who troubled and hated all the

other nice [dear] people, and he managed it so as to drive them all away,

and put them out of the moon. And when the mass of the folk were gone,

he said, "Now those stupid dogs have gone, I will live comfortably and

well, all alone." But after a bit the fire began to burn down, and that

man found that if he did not want to be in the darkness [night] and die

of cold he must go all the time for wood. And when the other people were

there, they never did any carrying or splitting wood in the day-time, but

now he had to take it all on his shoulders, all night and all day. So

the people here on our earth see that man to this day all burdened [full]

of wood, and bitter and grumbling to himself, and lurking alone by his

fire. And the poor people whom he had driven away went all across and

around heaven, here and there, and set up in business for themselves, and

they are the stars and planets and lesser lights which you see all about.

The Gypsies · 第 81 / 91 题